Hello everyone! My name is Anne Marie Sengillo. I am a first year Graduate student in the Curriculum and Instruction program for Early Childhood Education. I recently moved to Cincinnati from Rochester NY this summer. I've lived in Rochester my entire life, so this is a huge change!
I earned my Undergraduate degree in Cognitive Psychology at The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). I found my passion for teaching when I took Childhood and Adolescent Psychology classes and completed a co-op at a Preschool on RIT's campus. Once that co-op was completed I began working at an all day Preschool called The Children's Center of Brighton (CCB) in Rochester as a floater/extra hands. After a month or so of doing that I became a long term sub for a Lead Teacher for a 3 ½-4 year old class, and then became the permanent Lead Teacher after a few weeks of subbing that position. I continued doing that for about a 2 years until I moved to Ohio. I miss teaching everyday at CCB, but I am looking forward to utilizing the information I will learn this year in a new classroom.
I can offer my insight I had with incorporating technology into Preschool/Young Learner setting. My 3 1/2- 4 yr olds successfully used my iPad on a daily basis (I had a solid insurance plan on it).
Reflective Blog Week 1
Learning, in a behaviorist point of view, was described as a change in behavioral dispositions of an organism and can be shaped by selective reinforcement (Johassen, 1991, p.5).This theory tells us the mind is an unnecessary construct to the learning process or the theory completely ignores the existence of the mind since the act of knowing can not be observed. These views are what caused the shift in learning psychology.
Cognitive psychologist have a completely different view. They care more about the mind and how learners acquire knowledge rather than what the behavioral response is (Johassen, 1991, p.6). This view gained influences from a behaviorist foundation and shaped to believe learners as someone who gains information by interacting with their environment. But questions were raised whether the mind reproduces the real world , or if the mind produces its own conception of reality, and what would be the most effective way to teach (Johassen, 1991, p.7).
Some of the limitations of the cognitive theory is the philosophical position of the mind, either the mind is understood as objectivist or constructivist (Johassen, 1991, p.7). Objectivism believes in the existence of the real world, independent to human experience, the theory feels that learning is the process of mapping out entities onto the learner. Also that each learner will have the same understanding of our shared reality (Johassen, 1991, p.9). The role of a teacher is to help students learn about the real world. Teachers goal should be to give a map of the external reality to learners since each reality is the same (Johassen, 1991, p.12).
Constructivism claims that people form their own individual realities based of their apperceptions, our world is created by our mind (Johassen, 1991, p.10). Its states we all view the external reality in a different light, there is no one set reality. To be successful educators it is suggested we create real world situations and teach from that, not to use cookie cutter lessons to teach (Johassen, 1991, p.11).To be successful educators we would have to provide the tools create knowledge, then evaluations would be a self analysis tool (Johassen, 1991, p.12).
I can apply much of what was discussed in my teaching. It is difficult not to try to give your own reality and mental map to your students, and have your students mold their reality to become more like your own as a teacher. I agree a way to make learning more effective is to give tools to let students create knowledge on their own terms, then let students evaluate their learning and knowledge status by using self evaluation tools.
I also feel that creating real world situations, instead of predetermined scripts, can enhance learning. When students are giving a problem that is unscripted, students can come up with a unique way to solve problems that relate to the individual students reality. My set way as the teacher to solve a problem may not make sense or be an effective way for my students to solve a problem. When given tools to solve problems in a real world environment, more concrete lessons may be taught that, in the long run, can create more knowledge gained in a certain area.
The validity of this article in the way that it is presented stands well. The articles that were cited within the argument that Johassen presented increases the validity of what was being suggested. Johassen could be seen one sided, but Johassen did discuss both pros and cons of both constructivism and objectivism. More could be touched on about what else objectivism has to offer and how both theories could used depending on the situation. At the end of the article Johassen did say it depended on the context, and the best solution would be to work on a middle ground between the two theories. But not much else was said to support that (1991, p.13)
I am curious where Johassen would stand in the four quadrant of teaching and learning matrix. Where would Johassen stand since there is no longer the continuum of objectivism and constructivism in that model? Also what are some examples of self assessment models for students or how can teachers gauge progress with out a high-stakes test?
The next article, Paradigms Regained by Cronje dives into objectivist and constructivist approaches of learning (2006, p. 387). Cronje said that practitioners and instructional designers normally support one approach to learning or the other since both types are considered polar opposites on a continuum. Cronje addressed concerns about being forced to chose between the two learning methods and how both are not solidly defined.
Both objectivism and constructivism can have radical definitions. Constructivist may believe that there is no real world and no reality (Cronje, 2006, p. 389). Objectivism suggests that reality is fully structured and shared by all. With those definitions it is hard to see how one could use ideas from both theories. To solve that problem a new model was suggested.
Instead of having a two polar opposites on a continuum, the two approaches to learning could be placed on a right angle. This way practitioners could draw from both theories without any contradiction (Cronje, 2006, p. 394). To take it a step further a matrix could be formed in which there are four quadrants which are Injection, Construction, Integration, and Immersion. (Cronje, 2006, p. 396). Injection is high in objectivist elements and deal with lectures, drills, and tutorials. Construction had learners building on their previous knowledge and experiences. Immersion is low in both objectivist and constructivist elements, it deals with learning from your own experiences without a conscious effort to learn. The last quadrant is Integration, it requires goal analysis so a learning outcome can be determined (Cronje, 2006, p. 398).
Studies were completed to see if this matrix could be put into use and if objectivism and constructivism did not have to be placed as polar opposites on a continuum. The first pilot study showed that learning events were not high in both objectivist and constructivist characteristics, but could contain elements of both (Cronje, 2006, p. 401). Another study was conducted and found more promising results. It was shown that learning events high in both constructivist and objectivist elements could be successful (Cronje, 2006, p. 411).
I do not see the two approaches of learning as complete opposites when the radical definitions is not used. When you define constructivism as having no set reality and objectivism as everyone having the same reality, then it would be hard to incorporate both approaches when building a lesson. But I prefer to look at the approaches to learning the way Cronje did with the quadrants, not in a continuum with polar opposites.
I found myself looking for ways to incorporate what Cronje called the four quadrants of learning into my lessons. I feel that not all of my students absorbed information I was teaching from the same methods of learning. Some of my students responded to the drill and lecture type of teaching, others responded to learning by experience. I can relate to trying to build a lesson that can touch upon different types of learners. When I was able to do that I found my entire class taking away more from lessons than if I focused on one approach to learning.
My pattern lesson was one of my favorite lessons I taught to my 3 ½ year old class that incorporated the different approaches to learning. I started with showing my class ABAB, AABB, and ABCABC patterns on my iPad, then vocally had my class say the different colors in the patterns. Next I used colored counting blocks to psychically show types of patterns and had my class form patterns using the blocks. Then I taped colored paper onto my students shirts and told my class to form the different types of patterns themselves. Afterward, when we were outside, I had my students use my camera (with heavy supervision) to take pictures of patterns found in nature and loaded them onto my iPad to view at the end of the day. Out of all of my lessons that year my pattern lesson was the one my class recalled the most information about, and talked about with their parents the most. I think that is because I incorporated different approaches to learning to one lesson/topic.
I found this article to shine more light on both approaches to learning than Johassen. The information that was presented was supported by both of the studies, but in a restricted arena. More studies should be conducted to see if Cronje theory brings similar results in different learning environments.
I am wondering when else have we tried to incorporate the different approaches to learning in our lessons? When has it been successful? When did it backfire? When did it produce unexpected results? References
Cronje, J. (2006). Paradigms regained: Toward integrating objectivism and constructivism in instructional design and the learning sciences. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 54(4), 387-416.
Jonassen, J. H. (1991). Objectivism versus constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm. Educational Technology Research and Development, 39(3), 5-14. Reflective Blog Week 2
Computers have become a staple in most classrooms. Whether they are used for internet research, playing educational games, or simply typing papers, computers offer enhancement to lesson plans. Unfortunately computers can be expensive and hard to come by in some schools budgets. But Chakia and Anderson showed there are efficient ways to incorporate one computer into a classroom.
The first suggestion on how to effectively use one computer in a classroom was to have stations in your classroom. This way the computer is not the only part of the lesson. Anderson suggested one station could be textbook research, another could be encyclopedia research, and third would be using the computer for research. This cuts back on the idle time that students would normally spend waiting for their turn on the computer. Chakia gave examples on how to designate computer times while utilizing the stations strategy. A schedule could be posted showing when each student can have a turn on the computer, or Popsicle sticks could be drawn to come up with an order of computer users, groups could be color coded as well.
Another strategy for using one computer in the class room effectively is to have students print pages off of the computer, then take them to their desks to read. This way a bulk of the computer time is not spent reading off of the monitor. Anderson even said that most students prefer to read on printed paper instead of the monitor anyways. Similar to printing, using a large monitor or projector is another way to effectively use one computer in a class room. Using this strategy teachers can show the images on the computer to all of the students at once.
If you want your students to be efficient on computer Anderson and Chakia both agree that students must be prepared before going onto the computers. When a student has a game plan of what needs to be done and how to do it, time will not be wasted going on fruitless searches. Anderson suggests that keywords and specific search engines should be given to students so the students may be more efficient researchers.
Teaming up with another teacher who has a computer is suggested by Anderson. Deals to borrow computers could be made with other teachers so the one computer per class would not be an issue anymore. This would work out best if the computers were on rolling carts or in laptop form.
I can see how all of these suggestions can utilize one computer per classroom. I feel that stations have been the most successful in my classroom settings. When stations were used there was set times in which a group of students may use the computer, this rids the classroom of “hogging” the computer. In my Preschool class I would set up “centers”. Before the class picked what center they would like to learn in I would explain each and say how many friends could be at a center at a time. One of the centers was normally iPad. The iPad station was a teacher supervised station in which my students could play an educational game I introduced at circle time. This method of using technology with my class was extremely effective. Each student knew that they would get a turn for a certain amount of time, and while they waited they could learn in different stations throughout the room.
I feel that both Authors made valid suggestions that would work in most classroom settings. The big issue I had did not pertain to being an effective way to use one computer, it dealt with wasting paper and resources. Printing out pages of information, that might not even be useful, takes resources that can be expensive. Although ink and paper is less expensive that computer, it still is costly. Unless each student recycles the printed paper after they are done reading it, much waste would be created from printing many pages off of the computer.
I am wondering if any teachers in our class do not have any computers in their rooms? Is there a computer lab that students may visit to conduct research and etc?
Has anyone run into technical difficulties while teaching a lesson using computers? How did you overcome that hiccup? What is an effective back up plan for when computer are not cooperating? Anne Marie Sengillo Reflective blog #3
There is much confusion regarding the use of copyright information in school. It can be hard to decide if adding a sound clip, a picture, or a movie into a your classroom is legal. Because of this confusion many teachers use very little copyrighted material, or none at all. Administrators can also hinder the use of copyrighted information in their school because they are confused on what is considered fair practice, which in turn limits teachers as well. The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education by the Center for Social Media and The Cost of Copyright Confusion of Media Literacy by Hobbs, Jaszi, and Aufderheide attempt to explain copy written material can be used, and in what circumstances it may be used in.
Fair use is one way to use copy written material. The Center for Social Media says that fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment. This way teachers do not have to contact the makers of the material and ask for permission to use it or pay a fee for using the material. But the guidelines for what is considered fair use can be confusing. Limits are not described, just suggestions on when it may be used. To make the matter of fair use even more uncertain Hobbs et. al said that one participant in Conference for Fair Use created a highly restrictive set of guidelines to be followed and became endorsed by a Patent Office, but their guidelines do not have any legal status. This causes even more confusion on how fair practice works and what is considered illegal.
To make using copyrighted material in a class room legal transformations of the material should occur. The Center for Social Media tells us that in order to use copyrighted material the media should not be repeated, it should be changed and made to be used in a different purpose. It is also important to use an appropriate amount of copyrighted material and use a certain kind of copyrighted materials. For example a textbook writer may not quote large amounts from a competitor's book since that could cause economic harm to the copyright owner, Hobbs et. al agreed on that statement. It also must be shown the material being used must be used to reach an educational goal, whole movies can even be used if they are being used to reach the educational goal. The Center for Social Media also states that attribution for quoted copyrighted material must be given when it can. Educators may also share copyrighted material with colleges in the aim to reach a colleges educational goal.
With all of these rules what is legal can still be confusing. Hobbs et. al explains how some teachers decide not to use copyrighted material at all just to be safe. In some schools there is an elaborate form that needs to be completed in order to use copyrighted material because administrators demand it, but the forms are actually unnecessary. Some librarians give strict rules on how materials can be used and let teachers know that if they are sued the school will not help the teacher, so teachers may avoid using copyrighted material for that reason. Sometimes when teachers do request the owner of copyrighted material for permission to use it they are met with defiance. Hobbs et. al explained that one teacher asked to use a picture on the cover of a magazine. Permission would be granted if the teacher paid a fine and received permission from the photographer and the subject of the photo, which would have been impossible to do. When one teacher requested to use lyrics from famous artists he was told he would have to pay $3,000 or more for the rights. All of these examples make teachers less likely to use copyrighted material, even I if their lesson would benefit from it.
In my experience teaching I was a copyright outlaw. I never thought twice about using copyrighted information while teaching preschool. I would use images from the internet or scan pictures from books for my class to learn from. I have shown countless video from Youtube on my iPad or video clips from DVDs I own. Most of the time when I used copyrighted information it was to help my students reach an educational goal, but there were a few times when I would show a video clip just for fun. I think that if I taught an older age group I may have been a little more careful on what copyrighted information I used and the reason I used the copyrighted information.
Also there were many times when I shared my lesson plan with the teachers in my school, and the lessons would include copyrighted material. In my school we had filing cabinets full of copies of lesson plans that teachers created along with pictures or links to websites to retrieve clips. I never thought that what we were doing may be considered illegal. Since I was a teacher using the copyrighted material in a learning environment I assumed that what I was doing would be legal.
When has your school's policies on the use of copyrighted material gotten in your way of teaching a lesson? What policies do your schools have regarding copyrighted material? Or does your school not have a set guideline?
Anne Marie Sengillo Reflective blog #4
With the increasing presence of the internet use in households and the improvement of computer technology, schools are incorporating the internet and other computer use into their curriculum’s. Blogs have been shown to be an effective way to share ideas outside of the classroom to expand classroom discussions (Wang & Hsua, 2008). Computer programs, such as WebQuest, have been shown to help students conduct research in a problem solving environment (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007). But with this increased usage of computer in the classroom comes with disadvantages as well.
One of the ways internet is being used to facilitate learning is with blogs, which are a form of a personal journals. Blogs are an effective way to conduct discussions in a private or public manner instantaneously (Wang & Hsua, 2008). Blogs allow students to share their ideas with people outside of their learning community and receive comments from other readers to promote collective learning. Knowing that other outside of the classroom are reading your entries on your blog may promote some students to put more effort into their entries and become more wary of plagiarizing. Unlike classroom discussions students can take time to think about how they want to respond and reflect on a topic. This can create more time for a student to articulate their ideas due to the lack of time restrictions. During class time some students may feel uncomfortable discussing sensitive material, but with blogs students may feel less restraints on what they share. And unlike discussion boards, blogs can be accessed after a class is finished. Blogs also are user friendly, anyone can read or write a blog without much prior knowledge (Rosen & Nelson, 2008). But there is a down side of blogs. Anyone can view blogs if a privacy setting is not utilized. Also some students may not feel motivated to use a blog because it can be time consuming to set up at first. Or some students may not share or post much information, which decreases the likelihood that other students will post information in return to create strong online discussions (Wang & Hsua, 2008).
Wikis are another way that the internet is being incorporated into lessons. They are websites that can be created and edited online by anyone with access to the wiki and a web browser (Wang & Hsua, 2008). It is a way for people to work together to share information on topics and shows wisdom of crowds. Wikis include a discussion and comment feature to allow editors to talk about particular entries to the wiki. But one of the main issues with wikis is that the information provided on the wiki is not always reliable since anyone can edit and contribute to most wikis.
WebQuests are another way to use the internet in a classroom. They can help develop higher order thinking skills by integrating internet tasks into lesson plans. One study looked at the use of WebQuest in a fifth grade group of students (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007). The students were given tasks to complete on the internet about the protection of the environment. The tasks included role playing games where each student took on a different role of community members, reflective writing, and conducting research. The study showed by using WebQuests literacy was facilitated by incorporating a variety of learning techniques. Students were able to see the environmental issues in a different point of view by making real life connections by using the role playing games found online. This increased the quality of discussions on the topic at hand. From role playing and research on WebQuests students were able to understand the consequences of pollutions more so than they would have from reading it in a book or hearing is solely from a teacher.
To utilize the benefits of the internet and WebQuests in the classroom proper strategies need to be taught and the internet tasks must be carefully planned (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007). Without proper training students may feel information overload while browsing the internet. To combat the feeling of overload text chunking, skimming, and scanning for relevant information should be taught. Distractions can also be an issue while using the internet. Icons, music, and animations on websites may stray students off of the task at hand. Time management can also become an issue. Teachers need to understand that some tasks will take longer than planned, so work may need to be taken home.
I can see the benefits of internet use everyday while I'm attending school or when I taught preschool. Sometimes I need time to reflect before I answer a question, blogs and discussion boards allow me to do that. I also benefit from being able to go back and re-read what my classmates said in previous discussions on blackboard, during actual class time I can't exactly do that unless I record the class.
While teaching preschool I would not be asking my students to post blogs or information on a discussion board, but blogs would be an effective way for me to communicate with parents and receive feedback from them. Everyday my co-teacher and I filled out a parent note that was posted on the door so parents could read about our day, but not many parents stopped to read it. Normally the parents were in a hurry to pick up their child and head home after a long day. I think if I had a parent not of some sort online more parents would read about the day. For my co-op final project I completed for my undergraduate degree I created a blog that I made available to my student's parents. The blog had recipes and pictures of the food I made with the class throughout my co-op that were kid friendly and healthy. I received great feedback when I posted that blog. The parents loved seeing what we created throughout my ten weeks and left comments on how they created the recipe and changed it to fit their needs. I could see myself creating a blog when I begin teaching again and using it to update the parents on our themes and skills we are working on each week.
But there were some downsides to creating a blog that involves children. When I made the recipe blog I had to blur out the pictures of the students because the blog was public. I had to be very careful of what I posted and how much information was given in each entry. If I wanted to make it private then each parent would have to register for the blog website and ask for permission to view, and I doubt as many parents would have viewed the blog if I required that. Copy right policies were also a bit confusing when I made a public blog. Not all of the recipes were mine, so I had to make sure to give credit to the origin of the recipe if I found the recipe online. Although I learned after the project it's not required to post the source of the recipe, I would still not feel comfortable posting a recipe without giving due credit.
In what ways has blogs or discussion boards hindered your learning experience?
Should students be able to research using wikis as their source? (Using wikis was strictly forbidden when I was earning my undergrad at RIT)
Anne Marie Sengilo
Reflection Blog 5
Until recently video games were seen as a past time activity, a way to entertain someone. Now video games are being transformed into a successful educational tool. If correct tools are used to evaluate the education properties of a video game and if the video game is being used properly, then video games can strengthen many lesson plans (Hong, Cheng, Hwang, Lee, & Chang, 2009). Studies have shown that video games are a strong motivator for students to complete work and learn on their own and over all have a positive impact on lessons (Sardone, Devlin-Scherer, 2010). But until teachers learn the correct way to incorporate video games into their lesson and feel comfortable using video games, students will not see video game’s benefits.
One strength most teachers are trying to build is critical thinking. Video games can help students become critical thinkers, hone their problem solving skills, create mental maps, and develop inductive reasoning all while playing a fun video game (Sardone, Devlin-Scherer, 2010). Students seem to be motivated to learn all of these fundamental skills by playing video games. Students will play by their own forces, not just because a teacher demands it. This can create a better retention of information.
But there are some assumed downsides of video games. Some scholars worry about the negative impact of video games, which can include turning teenagers violent or aggressive, undermine their role identities, stifle their thinking, increase mindless repetition, and increase self alienating behaviors in teenagers (Hong et. al, 2009).
Although video games are easy and fun to play, it is not always easy to find ways to incorporate video games into a lesson or educate teachers in how to use video games effectively. Implementation of video games requires time, skills, and attention that most teachers find hard to come by. A few ways to combat that would be by requiring more than one technology course to earn and undergraduate degree. Mini work shops could be offered that would model how to use technology in a classroom. Hands on practice with a mentor could strengthen technology skills and partnering with other teachers who are confident with technology use (Sardone, Devlin-Scherer, 2010).
With these conflicting ideas a method of rating video games should be used to decide which games should be incorporated into a classroom. A type that is recommended in a classroom setting is evolutionary games and evolutionary contest games. Theses games involve adapting to make complex decisions within the changing dynamic of the game (Hong et. al, 2009). Games should focus on creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration to be considered a useful technology tool for students. If video games are shown to have these features then they should not lead to distraction from the lesson and motivate students to play.
Using video games to support a lesson does follow the NETS standards. Using this technology does facilitate the learning experience to advance student learning. With this form of incorporating video games into the classroom teachers will be constantly assessing the tools being used. If colleges require more technology courses than teachers will exhibit knowledge and skills using video games in a lesson. If teachers work together within their school professional growth is bound to occur.
I think that I could incorporate technology into my classroom even more than I already do in ways that the article suggests. I used my iPad in my classroom on a daily basis, but I could use it in a more effective way if I evaluate the games in the way the article suggests. I am going to try harder now to make sure my games reach the important point of creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration.
When ever I used video games in my classroom my students did seem more motivated to complete their work and learn. So many more of my students wanted to practice their writing and letter recognition using my iPad than writing with a crayon and reading off of work books. I also tried to help my co-workers incorporate technology in their classroom by having my iPad available for their use in the classroom. Doing so I helped other teachers learn that technology can be more than a distraction or reward in a classroom, it can be a motivator to learn. I think it is important for teacher's to collaborate and share their knowledge on technology use in the classroom. With the ever increasing complexity of video games and other technology collaborating is necessary for teachers to stay “in the loop”.
In what ways have you ran into problems while incorporating video games into the classroom?
What qualities do you think are most important to make a video game a useful tool to you and your class?
Hello everyone! My name is Anne Marie Sengillo. I am a first year Graduate student in the Curriculum and Instruction program for Early Childhood Education. I recently moved to Cincinnati from Rochester NY this summer. I've lived in Rochester my entire life, so this is a huge change!
I earned my Undergraduate degree in Cognitive Psychology at The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). I found my passion for teaching when I took Childhood and Adolescent Psychology classes and completed a co-op at a Preschool on RIT's campus. Once that co-op was completed I began working at an all day Preschool called The Children's Center of Brighton (CCB) in Rochester as a floater/extra hands. After a month or so of doing that I became a long term sub for a Lead Teacher for a 3 ½-4 year old class, and then became the permanent Lead Teacher after a few weeks of subbing that position. I continued doing that for about a 2 years until I moved to Ohio. I miss teaching everyday at CCB, but I am looking forward to utilizing the information I will learn this year in a new classroom.
Here are some websites I used multiple times a week when I was teaching
http://www.everythingpreschool.com/lessonplans/
Craft Projects
Educational iPad App Review
I can offer my insight I had with incorporating technology into Preschool/Young Learner setting. My 3 1/2- 4 yr olds successfully used my iPad on a daily basis (I had a solid insurance plan on it).
Reflective Blog Week 1
Learning, in a behaviorist point of view, was described as a change in behavioral dispositions of an organism and can be shaped by selective reinforcement (Johassen, 1991, p.5).This theory tells us the mind is an unnecessary construct to the learning process or the theory completely ignores the existence of the mind since the act of knowing can not be observed. These views are what caused the shift in learning psychology.
Cognitive psychologist have a completely different view. They care more about the mind and how learners acquire knowledge rather than what the behavioral response is (Johassen, 1991, p.6). This view gained influences from a behaviorist foundation and shaped to believe learners as someone who gains information by interacting with their environment. But questions were raised whether the mind reproduces the real world , or if the mind produces its own conception of reality, and what would be the most effective way to teach (Johassen, 1991, p.7).
Some of the limitations of the cognitive theory is the philosophical position of the mind, either the mind is understood as objectivist or constructivist (Johassen, 1991, p.7). Objectivism believes in the existence of the real world, independent to human experience, the theory feels that learning is the process of mapping out entities onto the learner. Also that each learner will have the same understanding of our shared reality (Johassen, 1991, p.9). The role of a teacher is to help students learn about the real world. Teachers goal should be to give a map of the external reality to learners since each reality is the same (Johassen, 1991, p.12).
Constructivism claims that people form their own individual realities based of their apperceptions, our world is created by our mind (Johassen, 1991, p.10). Its states we all view the external reality in a different light, there is no one set reality. To be successful educators it is suggested we create real world situations and teach from that, not to use cookie cutter lessons to teach (Johassen, 1991, p.11).To be successful educators we would have to provide the tools create knowledge, then evaluations would be a self analysis tool (Johassen, 1991, p.12).
I can apply much of what was discussed in my teaching. It is difficult not to try to give your own reality and mental map to your students, and have your students mold their reality to become more like your own as a teacher. I agree a way to make learning more effective is to give tools to let students create knowledge on their own terms, then let students evaluate their learning and knowledge status by using self evaluation tools.
I also feel that creating real world situations, instead of predetermined scripts, can enhance learning. When students are giving a problem that is unscripted, students can come up with a unique way to solve problems that relate to the individual students reality. My set way as the teacher to solve a problem may not make sense or be an effective way for my students to solve a problem. When given tools to solve problems in a real world environment, more concrete lessons may be taught that, in the long run, can create more knowledge gained in a certain area.
The validity of this article in the way that it is presented stands well. The articles that were cited within the argument that Johassen presented increases the validity of what was being suggested. Johassen could be seen one sided, but Johassen did discuss both pros and cons of both constructivism and objectivism. More could be touched on about what else objectivism has to offer and how both theories could used depending on the situation. At the end of the article Johassen did say it depended on the context, and the best solution would be to work on a middle ground between the two theories. But not much else was said to support that (1991, p.13)
I am curious where Johassen would stand in the four quadrant of teaching and learning matrix. Where would Johassen stand since there is no longer the continuum of objectivism and constructivism in that model? Also what are some examples of self assessment models for students or how can teachers gauge progress with out a high-stakes test?
The next article, Paradigms Regained by Cronje dives into objectivist and constructivist approaches of learning (2006, p. 387). Cronje said that practitioners and instructional designers normally support one approach to learning or the other since both types are considered polar opposites on a continuum. Cronje addressed concerns about being forced to chose between the two learning methods and how both are not solidly defined.
Both objectivism and constructivism can have radical definitions. Constructivist may believe that there is no real world and no reality (Cronje, 2006, p. 389). Objectivism suggests that reality is fully structured and shared by all. With those definitions it is hard to see how one could use ideas from both theories. To solve that problem a new model was suggested.
Instead of having a two polar opposites on a continuum, the two approaches to learning could be placed on a right angle. This way practitioners could draw from both theories without any contradiction (Cronje, 2006, p. 394). To take it a step further a matrix could be formed in which there are four quadrants which are Injection, Construction, Integration, and Immersion. (Cronje, 2006, p. 396). Injection is high in objectivist elements and deal with lectures, drills, and tutorials. Construction had learners building on their previous knowledge and experiences. Immersion is low in both objectivist and constructivist elements, it deals with learning from your own experiences without a conscious effort to learn. The last quadrant is Integration, it requires goal analysis so a learning outcome can be determined (Cronje, 2006, p. 398).
Studies were completed to see if this matrix could be put into use and if objectivism and constructivism did not have to be placed as polar opposites on a continuum. The first pilot study showed that learning events were not high in both objectivist and constructivist characteristics, but could contain elements of both (Cronje, 2006, p. 401). Another study was conducted and found more promising results. It was shown that learning events high in both constructivist and objectivist elements could be successful (Cronje, 2006, p. 411).
I do not see the two approaches of learning as complete opposites when the radical definitions is not used. When you define constructivism as having no set reality and objectivism as everyone having the same reality, then it would be hard to incorporate both approaches when building a lesson. But I prefer to look at the approaches to learning the way Cronje did with the quadrants, not in a continuum with polar opposites.
I found myself looking for ways to incorporate what Cronje called the four quadrants of learning into my lessons. I feel that not all of my students absorbed information I was teaching from the same methods of learning. Some of my students responded to the drill and lecture type of teaching, others responded to learning by experience. I can relate to trying to build a lesson that can touch upon different types of learners. When I was able to do that I found my entire class taking away more from lessons than if I focused on one approach to learning.
My pattern lesson was one of my favorite lessons I taught to my 3 ½ year old class that incorporated the different approaches to learning. I started with showing my class ABAB, AABB, and ABCABC patterns on my iPad, then vocally had my class say the different colors in the patterns. Next I used colored counting blocks to psychically show types of patterns and had my class form patterns using the blocks. Then I taped colored paper onto my students shirts and told my class to form the different types of patterns themselves. Afterward, when we were outside, I had my students use my camera (with heavy supervision) to take pictures of patterns found in nature and loaded them onto my iPad to view at the end of the day. Out of all of my lessons that year my pattern lesson was the one my class recalled the most information about, and talked about with their parents the most. I think that is because I incorporated different approaches to learning to one lesson/topic.
I found this article to shine more light on both approaches to learning than Johassen. The information that was presented was supported by both of the studies, but in a restricted arena. More studies should be conducted to see if Cronje theory brings similar results in different learning environments.
I am wondering when else have we tried to incorporate the different approaches to learning in our lessons? When has it been successful? When did it backfire? When did it produce unexpected results?
References
Cronje, J. (2006). Paradigms regained: Toward integrating objectivism and constructivism in instructional design and the learning sciences. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 54(4), 387-416.
Jonassen, J. H. (1991). Objectivism versus constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm. Educational Technology Research and Development, 39(3), 5-14.
Reflective Blog Week 2
Computers have become a staple in most classrooms. Whether they are used for internet research, playing educational games, or simply typing papers, computers offer enhancement to lesson plans. Unfortunately computers can be expensive and hard to come by in some schools budgets. But Chakia and Anderson showed there are efficient ways to incorporate one computer into a classroom.
The first suggestion on how to effectively use one computer in a classroom was to have stations in your classroom. This way the computer is not the only part of the lesson. Anderson suggested one station could be textbook research, another could be encyclopedia research, and third would be using the computer for research. This cuts back on the idle time that students would normally spend waiting for their turn on the computer. Chakia gave examples on how to designate computer times while utilizing the stations strategy. A schedule could be posted showing when each student can have a turn on the computer, or Popsicle sticks could be drawn to come up with an order of computer users, groups could be color coded as well.
Another strategy for using one computer in the class room effectively is to have students print pages off of the computer, then take them to their desks to read. This way a bulk of the computer time is not spent reading off of the monitor. Anderson even said that most students prefer to read on printed paper instead of the monitor anyways. Similar to printing, using a large monitor or projector is another way to effectively use one computer in a class room. Using this strategy teachers can show the images on the computer to all of the students at once.
If you want your students to be efficient on computer Anderson and Chakia both agree that students must be prepared before going onto the computers. When a student has a game plan of what needs to be done and how to do it, time will not be wasted going on fruitless searches. Anderson suggests that keywords and specific search engines should be given to students so the students may be more efficient researchers.
Teaming up with another teacher who has a computer is suggested by Anderson. Deals to borrow computers could be made with other teachers so the one computer per class would not be an issue anymore. This would work out best if the computers were on rolling carts or in laptop form.
I can see how all of these suggestions can utilize one computer per classroom. I feel that stations have been the most successful in my classroom settings. When stations were used there was set times in which a group of students may use the computer, this rids the classroom of “hogging” the computer. In my Preschool class I would set up “centers”. Before the class picked what center they would like to learn in I would explain each and say how many friends could be at a center at a time. One of the centers was normally iPad. The iPad station was a teacher supervised station in which my students could play an educational game I introduced at circle time. This method of using technology with my class was extremely effective. Each student knew that they would get a turn for a certain amount of time, and while they waited they could learn in different stations throughout the room.
I feel that both Authors made valid suggestions that would work in most classroom settings. The big issue I had did not pertain to being an effective way to use one computer, it dealt with wasting paper and resources. Printing out pages of information, that might not even be useful, takes resources that can be expensive. Although ink and paper is less expensive that computer, it still is costly. Unless each student recycles the printed paper after they are done reading it, much waste would be created from printing many pages off of the computer.
I am wondering if any teachers in our class do not have any computers in their rooms? Is there a computer lab that students may visit to conduct research and etc?
Has anyone run into technical difficulties while teaching a lesson using computers? How did you overcome that hiccup? What is an effective back up plan for when computer are not cooperating?
Anne Marie Sengillo
Reflective blog #3
There is much confusion regarding the use of copyright information in school. It can be hard to decide if adding a sound clip, a picture, or a movie into a your classroom is legal. Because of this confusion many teachers use very little copyrighted material, or none at all. Administrators can also hinder the use of copyrighted information in their school because they are confused on what is considered fair practice, which in turn limits teachers as well. The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education by the Center for Social Media and The Cost of Copyright Confusion of Media Literacy by Hobbs, Jaszi, and Aufderheide attempt to explain copy written material can be used, and in what circumstances it may be used in.
Fair use is one way to use copy written material. The Center for Social Media says that fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment. This way teachers do not have to contact the makers of the material and ask for permission to use it or pay a fee for using the material. But the guidelines for what is considered fair use can be confusing. Limits are not described, just suggestions on when it may be used. To make the matter of fair use even more uncertain Hobbs et. al said that one participant in Conference for Fair Use created a highly restrictive set of guidelines to be followed and became endorsed by a Patent Office, but their guidelines do not have any legal status. This causes even more confusion on how fair practice works and what is considered illegal.
To make using copyrighted material in a class room legal transformations of the material should occur. The Center for Social Media tells us that in order to use copyrighted material the media should not be repeated, it should be changed and made to be used in a different purpose. It is also important to use an appropriate amount of copyrighted material and use a certain kind of copyrighted materials. For example a textbook writer may not quote large amounts from a competitor's book since that could cause economic harm to the copyright owner, Hobbs et. al agreed on that statement. It also must be shown the material being used must be used to reach an educational goal, whole movies can even be used if they are being used to reach the educational goal. The Center for Social Media also states that attribution for quoted copyrighted material must be given when it can. Educators may also share copyrighted material with colleges in the aim to reach a colleges educational goal.
With all of these rules what is legal can still be confusing. Hobbs et. al explains how some teachers decide not to use copyrighted material at all just to be safe. In some schools there is an elaborate form that needs to be completed in order to use copyrighted material because administrators demand it, but the forms are actually unnecessary. Some librarians give strict rules on how materials can be used and let teachers know that if they are sued the school will not help the teacher, so teachers may avoid using copyrighted material for that reason.
Sometimes when teachers do request the owner of copyrighted material for permission to use it they are met with defiance. Hobbs et. al explained that one teacher asked to use a picture on the cover of a magazine. Permission would be granted if the teacher paid a fine and received permission from the photographer and the subject of the photo, which would have been impossible to do. When one teacher requested to use lyrics from famous artists he was told he would have to pay $3,000 or more for the rights. All of these examples make teachers less likely to use copyrighted material, even I if their lesson would benefit from it.
In my experience teaching I was a copyright outlaw. I never thought twice about using copyrighted information while teaching preschool. I would use images from the internet or scan pictures from books for my class to learn from. I have shown countless video from Youtube on my iPad or video clips from DVDs I own. Most of the time when I used copyrighted information it was to help my students reach an educational goal, but there were a few times when I would show a video clip just for fun. I think that if I taught an older age group I may have been a little more careful on what copyrighted information I used and the reason I used the copyrighted information.
Also there were many times when I shared my lesson plan with the teachers in my school, and the lessons would include copyrighted material. In my school we had filing cabinets full of copies of lesson plans that teachers created along with pictures or links to websites to retrieve clips. I never thought that what we were doing may be considered illegal. Since I was a teacher using the copyrighted material in a learning environment I assumed that what I was doing would be legal.
When has your school's policies on the use of copyrighted material gotten in your way of teaching a lesson?
What policies do your schools have regarding copyrighted material? Or does your school not have a set guideline?
Anne Marie Sengillo
Reflective blog #4
With the increasing presence of the internet use in households and the improvement of computer technology, schools are incorporating the internet and other computer use into their curriculum’s. Blogs have been shown to be an effective way to share ideas outside of the classroom to expand classroom discussions (Wang & Hsua, 2008). Computer programs, such as WebQuest, have been shown to help students conduct research in a problem solving environment (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007). But with this increased usage of computer in the classroom comes with disadvantages as well.
One of the ways internet is being used to facilitate learning is with blogs, which are a form of a personal journals. Blogs are an effective way to conduct discussions in a private or public manner instantaneously (Wang & Hsua, 2008). Blogs allow students to share their ideas with people outside of their learning community and receive comments from other readers to promote collective learning. Knowing that other outside of the classroom are reading your entries on your blog may promote some students to put more effort into their entries and become more wary of plagiarizing. Unlike classroom discussions students can take time to think about how they want to respond and reflect on a topic. This can create more time for a student to articulate their ideas due to the lack of time restrictions. During class time some students may feel uncomfortable discussing sensitive material, but with blogs students may feel less restraints on what they share. And unlike discussion boards, blogs can be accessed after a class is finished. Blogs also are user friendly, anyone can read or write a blog without much prior knowledge (Rosen & Nelson, 2008). But there is a down side of blogs. Anyone can view blogs if a privacy setting is not utilized. Also some students may not feel motivated to use a blog because it can be time consuming to set up at first. Or some students may not share or post much information, which decreases the likelihood that other students will post information in return to create strong online discussions (Wang & Hsua, 2008).
Wikis are another way that the internet is being incorporated into lessons. They are websites that can be created and edited online by anyone with access to the wiki and a web browser (Wang & Hsua, 2008). It is a way for people to work together to share information on topics and shows wisdom of crowds. Wikis include a discussion and comment feature to allow editors to talk about particular entries to the wiki. But one of the main issues with wikis is that the information provided on the wiki is not always reliable since anyone can edit and contribute to most wikis.
WebQuests are another way to use the internet in a classroom. They can help develop higher order thinking skills by integrating internet tasks into lesson plans. One study looked at the use of WebQuest in a fifth grade group of students (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007). The students were given tasks to complete on the internet about the protection of the environment. The tasks included role playing games where each student took on a different role of community members, reflective writing, and conducting research. The study showed by using WebQuests literacy was facilitated by incorporating a variety of learning techniques. Students were able to see the environmental issues in a different point of view by making real life connections by using the role playing games found online. This increased the quality of discussions on the topic at hand. From role playing and research on WebQuests students were able to understand the consequences of pollutions more so than they would have from reading it in a book or hearing is solely from a teacher.
To utilize the benefits of the internet and WebQuests in the classroom proper strategies need to be taught and the internet tasks must be carefully planned (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007). Without proper training students may feel information overload while browsing the internet. To combat the feeling of overload text chunking, skimming, and scanning for relevant information should be taught. Distractions can also be an issue while using the internet. Icons, music, and animations on websites may stray students off of the task at hand. Time management can also become an issue. Teachers need to understand that some tasks will take longer than planned, so work may need to be taken home.
I can see the benefits of internet use everyday while I'm attending school or when I taught preschool. Sometimes I need time to reflect before I answer a question, blogs and discussion boards allow me to do that. I also benefit from being able to go back and re-read what my classmates said in previous discussions on blackboard, during actual class time I can't exactly do that unless I record the class.
While teaching preschool I would not be asking my students to post blogs or information on a discussion board, but blogs would be an effective way for me to communicate with parents and receive feedback from them. Everyday my co-teacher and I filled out a parent note that was posted on the door so parents could read about our day, but not many parents stopped to read it. Normally the parents were in a hurry to pick up their child and head home after a long day. I think if I had a parent not of some sort online more parents would read about the day. For my co-op final project I completed for my undergraduate degree I created a blog that I made available to my student's parents. The blog had recipes and pictures of the food I made with the class throughout my co-op that were kid friendly and healthy. I received great feedback when I posted that blog. The parents loved seeing what we created throughout my ten weeks and left comments on how they created the recipe and changed it to fit their needs. I could see myself creating a blog when I begin teaching again and using it to update the parents on our themes and skills we are working on each week.
But there were some downsides to creating a blog that involves children. When I made the recipe blog I had to blur out the pictures of the students because the blog was public. I had to be very careful of what I posted and how much information was given in each entry. If I wanted to make it private then each parent would have to register for the blog website and ask for permission to view, and I doubt as many parents would have viewed the blog if I required that. Copy right policies were also a bit confusing when I made a public blog. Not all of the recipes were mine, so I had to make sure to give credit to the origin of the recipe if I found the recipe online. Although I learned after the project it's not required to post the source of the recipe, I would still not feel comfortable posting a recipe without giving due credit.
In what ways has blogs or discussion boards hindered your learning experience?
Should students be able to research using wikis as their source? (Using wikis was strictly forbidden when I was earning my undergrad at RIT)
Anne Marie Sengilo
Reflection Blog 5
Until recently video games were seen as a past time activity, a way to entertain someone. Now video games are being transformed into a successful educational tool. If correct tools are used to evaluate the education properties of a video game and if the video game is being used properly, then video games can strengthen many lesson plans (Hong, Cheng, Hwang, Lee, & Chang, 2009). Studies have shown that video games are a strong motivator for students to complete work and learn on their own and over all have a positive impact on lessons (Sardone, Devlin-Scherer, 2010). But until teachers learn the correct way to incorporate video games into their lesson and feel comfortable using video games, students will not see video game’s benefits.
One strength most teachers are trying to build is critical thinking. Video games can help students become critical thinkers, hone their problem solving skills, create mental maps, and develop inductive reasoning all while playing a fun video game (Sardone, Devlin-Scherer, 2010). Students seem to be motivated to learn all of these fundamental skills by playing video games. Students will play by their own forces, not just because a teacher demands it. This can create a better retention of information.
But there are some assumed downsides of video games. Some scholars worry about the negative impact of video games, which can include turning teenagers violent or aggressive, undermine their role identities, stifle their thinking, increase mindless repetition, and increase self alienating behaviors in teenagers (Hong et. al, 2009).
Although video games are easy and fun to play, it is not always easy to find ways to incorporate video games into a lesson or educate teachers in how to use video games effectively. Implementation of video games requires time, skills, and attention that most teachers find hard to come by. A few ways to combat that would be by requiring more than one technology course to earn and undergraduate degree. Mini work shops could be offered that would model how to use technology in a classroom. Hands on practice with a mentor could strengthen technology skills and partnering with other teachers who are confident with technology use (Sardone, Devlin-Scherer, 2010).
With these conflicting ideas a method of rating video games should be used to decide which games should be incorporated into a classroom. A type that is recommended in a classroom setting is evolutionary games and evolutionary contest games. Theses games involve adapting to make complex decisions within the changing dynamic of the game (Hong et. al, 2009). Games should focus on creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration to be considered a useful technology tool for students. If video games are shown to have these features then they should not lead to distraction from the lesson and motivate students to play.
Using video games to support a lesson does follow the NETS standards. Using this technology does facilitate the learning experience to advance student learning. With this form of incorporating video games into the classroom teachers will be constantly assessing the tools being used. If colleges require more technology courses than teachers will exhibit knowledge and skills using video games in a lesson. If teachers work together within their school professional growth is bound to occur.
I think that I could incorporate technology into my classroom even more than I already do in ways that the article suggests. I used my iPad in my classroom on a daily basis, but I could use it in a more effective way if I evaluate the games in the way the article suggests. I am going to try harder now to make sure my games reach the important point of creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration.
When ever I used video games in my classroom my students did seem more motivated to complete their work and learn. So many more of my students wanted to practice their writing and letter recognition using my iPad than writing with a crayon and reading off of work books. I also tried to help my co-workers incorporate technology in their classroom by having my iPad available for their use in the classroom. Doing so I helped other teachers learn that technology can be more than a distraction or reward in a classroom, it can be a motivator to learn. I think it is important for teacher's to collaborate and share their knowledge on technology use in the classroom. With the ever increasing complexity of video games and other technology collaborating is necessary for teachers to stay “in the loop”.